St Margaret’s church is located in Burnage, which is between Manchester and Stockport with easy access by car or bus to both centres.  It is about 5 miles south of Manchester city centre.  It is identified by the circle in the map below and can be seen to be near to Kingsway, the A34 dual carriageway.

Burnage is a suburban residential area consisting of about 50% private and 50% council housing. Burnage Lane is the main road through the centre of Burnage. Burnage Lane has been the centre of Burnage from ancient days. Locals have always referred to it as “The Lane”, giving the area a village atmosphere.  

In the last fifteen years the construction of large food and DIY supermarkets has taken business away from local shops with consequent degradation of the “village” atmosphere and some of the problems expected of an Urban Priority Area.  The parish has a population of 10,586 and consists of 4,074 households.  There is an increasing Asian population, mainly due to the presence in the parish of single-sex boys’ and girls’ secondary schools and a Moslem Saturday school.  Smart’s Laundry, which is adjacent to the church, constitutes the only industry in the parish.

 The congregation has a wide spread of ages with a large number of both children and the elderly.  One feature of the congregation is that most live within the parish, so that very few travel in.  Another feature is the stability of the congregation with many having been born and brought up in the area. 

The church is conservative evangelical and low-key charismatic. It has been evangelical for the last 40 years, believing in the Bible as the inspired Word of God and in salvation through Jesus alone.  Over the last 15 years it has developed a low-key charismatic outlook, ready to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  A healing and ministry team has been set up for ministry at healing services every six weeks and sometimes after morning communion services.  At the evening service on the fourth Sunday of the month, “Grow in the Spirit” may include a time for ministry.  Groups of parishioners have attended Spring Harvest for the last 15 years, often with a party of about 40, but once being about110 people (including children and the Rector).